Burak or redneck?

Polish TV film-dialogue translators regularly translate redneck as burak. The two terms are close, but are they identical? . How do you (native speakers of Polish) define burak? What traits must such a one display?

the traits of a redneck

Here are some of the traits American stand-up comic Jeff Foxworthy has listed. You are a redneck if:
**You have lost at least one tooth opening a beer bottle,
**Your boat has not left your driveway in 15 years,
**Jack Daniels makes your list of 'most admired people',
**You have a special baseball cap just for formal occasions,
**There is more dishes in your sink than in your copboards.
**Your wife has a beer belly and you find it attractive.
**You think the stock market has a fence round it,
**You think mud rasslin' should be an Olympic sport,
**You list your parole officer as areference,
**There are more fish on your walls than pictures...

different cultures--it is not an interchangeable word. Same with "white trash" equivalent "patologia" (hope i spelled that correctly). Not the same thing based on geography and culture.

Are the Kiepskis regarded as buraki, or are they urban lumpenproles?. In the US we also have the term trailer trash (people living in caravans parks) and hillbillies (to northerners all southerners are sometimes called that). Interestingly, a southern accent means just the opposite in the US and UK.

They are buraki. Lumpenproles will have element of patologia. I would say that the are kind of borderline, but this is a comedy show not really dealing with patologia.

Do you believe that a southern accent makes one automatically a redneck?

If you don't like burak, try czereśniak.
miejski.pl/slowo-Czereśniak

Polonius,where did you get this idea that having a southern accent means that you are a redneck?Being a redneck is what makes you a redneck and we have them with northern accents as well.Jeff Foxworthy has somewhat changed the meaning of it.The common thread with rednecks use to be racism.Foxworthy's interpretation is closer to 'hick" or "hillbillie".It use to be that being called a redneck was not a term of endearment to say the least.

I don't but some New Englanders and Midwesterners do.

I guess Jeff Foxworthy has contributed to that.And I would say that the some of the newer generation may think of redneck in this way.Whether you go by the old or new meaning,rednecks are in all parts of the U.S.

well said, p3

4 eigner,thank you

So basically your are saying a redneck is an underclass regardless of accent or geography, more of a state of mind and personal values, habits and standards than anything else. Do you believe it to be synonmous with trailer trash, white trash and hilbilly?

So what about some of the speicific traits of Poalnd's legendary 'burak'?

absolutely

I'm not sure what you mean by underclass and I'm only explaining how the term has evolved form what it originally meant.As for in Poland I don't know how they apply their equivalent term at all.When I was growing up the term referred to racists.I believe redneck based on Foxworthy's description is closer to "hick" or "Hillbillie".Usually living in the remote areas.You have familiar traits with people who live in the more remote places regardless of geographic location.

Actually,. come to think of it, there are many similar dergotory terms besides hick -- not all of them too current -- including hayseed, yokel and rube -- usually referring to backward farmers. Hence hick town.

Polonius I hear you,I myself don't refer to anyone in any of these terms,but I guess some are more acceptable than others.If some one refers to me as a city slicker,this never bothered me.Is the term Burak acceptable in Poland?

The only US Southerners I know are perfect gentlemen - not rednecks at all.

A burak isn't the same as a redneck. Burak implies a total lack of sophistication and a very narrow world view combined with a very low standard of behaviour. And nearly always overweight, a drinker, superstitious but not necessarily very religious, poor taste, a mistrust of anyone outside their immediate family and with a low IQ. True underclass.

A redneck is defined by right-wing politics, a closed mind, fundamentalist religion a mistrust of people from outside their community and a belief in conspiracies.

A burak is white trash, even if they have a bit of money (as some do). A redneck is not necessarily.

Jon357, as far as right wing and religious fundamentalism goes that is not a requirement,as for the rest of it you are very close.

Would you say say there are specific redneck musical tastes?

According to diki and google translate "wieśniak, burak" means "wiejski prostak" and translates to English as "rube".
diki.pl/slownik-angielskiego/?q=wie%C5%9Bniak%2C+burak#q=rube

Definicja.net has these entries
burak => cham, chamisko, chamidło, ćwok, gbur, grubianin, kmiot, kmieć (not to offend the real kmiecie, in the orignal Old Polish sense), nieokrzesaniec, prowincjusz, prymityw, bamber (sorry, the good bambers), żłób, wsioch, wsiok, wsiowy and prostak.

definicja.net/definicja/Burak

Rube is I think a US English word and surely archaic.

Jon357,Boletus,that term has always made me laugh.

Not really, they can like either or both types of music: country and/or western.

And Lynrd Skynrd?

it's a beautiful place Bob!

Harry,I agree,even up in the north,the people that are termed "redneck" are likely to listen to those types of music.The term did originally spring from the south.How long has the term Burak been around,do you know?

The term underlcass is loosely used by many Ameircans to mean, for instance, people like slumdwellers -- those who live in 'dangerous' neighbourhoods where drugs (crackhouses), prostituion and crime are rampant, tenants are way behind in theri rent, many have had utilities disconnected for nonpayment of bills, most kids are school drop-outs, very few know who there father, and drug dealers and rappers are looked up to as role models. There are neighboruhoods like this in every American major city (in other countries as well), but we are discussing the American underclass here.

Absolutely.

A little background:


en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Burak_(name)

The term and its uncomplimentary meaning in Polish very likely originated not long after Sobieski gallantly and decisively defeated the Ottoman Turks in the Battle of Vienna.

The Turks proved to be an unworthy opponent deserving of ridicule and thus nicely packaged in the word "burak".